Newsletter#1, Michaelmas Term, 1995 (30th October)

A year ago in this newsletter I may have implied that certain members of our men's 1st VIII were, perhaps, aiming a little low when they entered (and comfortably won) the Novice Fours event at Oxford City Regatta. Clearly stung by my remarks, this summer they entered for the Britannia Cup at Henley, which is just about the top competition for club coxed fours in the country (actually, I'd been thinking more along the lines of entering as a Senior 3 or Senior 2 crew at some provincial regatta). Unfortunately, with 59 other entrants competing for only 13 qualifying places, getting past the 'Rowing On' stage never looked likely. But, they weren't the slowest crew! And, no, they weren't even the 2nd slowest. Er....moving on....

Last summer I said that a couple of our old boys (Matt Pinsent, M.89, and Laird Reed, M.94) were also rowing in a coxed four and had been busily sweeping their way through the international regatta circuit. What I didn't realise was that the cox was also one of ours (Neil Chugani, M.87) and such was the fame of this crew that they even earned an honourable mention in Lord Plant's speech at the Catz Gaudy, held on the Saturday of Henley (it wasn't only the competitors who had it tough that week). The next day, rowing as Leander 'A', they won the Prince Philip Cup, an event which doesn't require crews to qualify, but does require crews to be of international standard - just in case anyone reading this is getting any ideas. In the final they beat the GB coxed four, rowing as Leander 'B'. Say what you like about Leander as a club, but it does show a certain amount of style when you can boat the National Squad as your 'B' crew and it really is your 'B' crew. Need I mention that Pinsent & Redgrave stepped into a coxless pair on the same day to retain the Silver Goblets? Probably not.

This year's World Championships were held in Tampere (Finland) at the end of August. Pinsent & Redgrave, won the pairs again (ho hum) stretching their unbeaten run to 4 years, but our other active International, Rupert Obholzer (M.88), won a Silver Medal - his best Worlds result to date. The GB coxless four (Obholzer, Searle, Searle and Foster) just failed to overtake the Italian Olympic champions at the finish. I think Ob' was the 2nd man across the line - it was that close. Also at Tampere, the GB coxed four, having brought in Damien West since Henley, finished in 7th place. This may be of some interest considering that a certain D. West features in this year's intake at Catz.

I've received some tales of summer rowing from the far bank. Francis Gignac (M.58) and Heidi Avery (M.88) represented Oxford in the various Alumni Boat Races held on the Potomac in Washington DC. Despite some dubious goings-on at the start - a mysterious second Oxford crew showed up and attempted to join the race - the Cambridge men won; but Heidi continues to enjoy infuriating the Tab women: "The Cambridge women gave us a great race this year, but they do not seem to understand yet that I refuse to lose!". Expatriate Alan Supple (M.86) also popped up out of the electronic woodwork. After Catz, he moved to Chicago where he was co-captain of the boat club, and has now moved again to Atlanta where he is rowing in an 'international' four - 'international' reflecting the crew's composition rather than aspirations - "but the boat moves quite nicely, even with me acting as a brake in the bow seat" (I'm glad he said that). Anyone looking for cheap accommodation for the Olympics? (Well, he didn't actually say that).

Back on home shores, we ran another Instructors Award course for 7 aspiring Catz coaches at the start of Michaelmas Term. However, all the theory in the world can never adequately prepare you for the logistical nightmare of 96 freshers suddenly deciding that 'rowing' might be the thing for them. Now, a few weeks into term, these have been distilled into 'Keen', 'Social' and 'Beer' groups (euphemisms for the 'Good', the 'Bad' and the 'Ugly') and there's even been time for the experienced rowers to get out now and then. We've just had Autumn Fours, run as a head race these days, with the 3 Catz Men's crews finishing 9th, 20th and 32nd in a field of 49.

Apart from Damien West, another couple of freshmen have passed through Catz lodge on their way to the OUBC minibus: Harry Bond, ex-Eton 1st VIII (the Eton 1st VIII-Catz Geography route is becoming a well-worn path to the Blue Boat); and Dan Tollin, a Canadian who introduced himself while we were both sitting around waiting for the start of Marlow Sculls (he said he applied to Catz on the recommendation of one Craig Klafter, M.83 - now there's a name from the past!). Of course, Catz men's Blues are two-a-penny these days, but I've also heard talk of a 6' woman called Emily Lloyd who's just arrived from Lady Eleanor Holles (a school which rather dominates British junior women's rowing at the moment) and immediately headed off for OUWBC Trials. For those interested in such trivia, the last Catz OUWBC Blue was in 1986: Jo Gough, who, I recall, always insisted she was only 5'11½" tall. A rather less-fresh Samer Hakoura is also trialling for OUBC, a slightly creaky Sarah Jones is coxing for the OUWBC squad; and, getting perilously close to their graduate-by dates, Dom Layfield, Hassan Ahari and Jon Haynes (technically still Catz, although rowing for Osler House) are all trying, in both senses, to be lightweights. Since I'm sure you're dying to know, the last Catz lightweight was Ian Robson back in 1985.

In recent years, Torpids has been regularly disrupted by flooding, often with the Isis becoming perfectly rowable just a week later. So this year they came up with a brilliant plan: why don't we just move Torpids back a week! Of course, now that that's been decided, everyone knows that next Hilary Term the Isis is going to be fine right up until the end of 6th week, but come Sunday of 7th week it will be miraculously transformed into a raging torrent. The Rowing Society Dinner & AGM has accordingly been moved to keep it on the Saturday of Torpids. This year we will be making a special effort to contact and invite all those who rowed in the '86, '76, '66 and '56 crews. More details with the next newsletter.

Anu Dudhia (e-mail: dudhia@atm.ox.ac.uk)

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